The Russellville Democrat., 1887-02-23
Mysterious Murder in Yell
County.
Dardanelle Post, 18th.
III q 1907

BLUFFTON, reD. ., loot'
DID. PosT:
To-day one of D. r. Riley Lof-
lands little sons was out hunting his
oxen, and found one OF them near a
large tree that had been blown down,
and as the oxen passed around the
top of the tree the boy got on the
log and walked on it to near the top,
when to his surprise and terror he
saw the dead body Of a man lying
beside the log. The boy hastened
home and told his father of his dis.
covery. The news soon spread and
large crowd collected in a short
time to see q shocking and horrible
sight. The mans throat had been
cut besides q stab in his left. side
Just below the ribs, and DR.. Black
well says his skull was fractured.
The body was about 90 or 90 yards
from the public road leading to
Gravelly Hill on the north side OF
Fourche about one half mile east OF
Riley Lofand's. There is place
near by where the body was found,
at which some person has canped,
and the supposition is that some
one came to his camp and murdered
him, or that he was travelling with
some one who committed the deed,
and seereted the body and went OFT
without being discovered. 1t seems
the body had been drug from the
camp to the place where it was found,
and placed so that the log was be-
tween it and the public road, then
another log was placed on the other
side and another log and some
branches Of trees placed over him so
that he was completely hid, except
in the way the boy happened to find
him. Judging from the condition OF
the body it has been there one month
or more. The murdered man must
have been mover as he is strang
er, and among the large crowd pres
ent no one knew anything about
him. | will give you DESCRIPTION
of the murdered man. He was about
25 years of age, light complexion,
light hair, has short red beard on
his chm, feet inches high, weight
about 140. Dressed in roundabout
pants of brown ducking, dark check
ed cotton shirt and cotton pants un-
der the overals. No papers or any
thing found on him that would FUN
ish clew to his identity. Nothing
in his pockets bat piece OF tobac
co ane small cane. 1t has been q
foul and brutal murder, but the mo
tive aud perpetrators is all mystery,
and will probably remain so.
There has been considerable trav
ell on this road during tue fall and
winter by emigrant trans from the
drouth stricken portion OF Texas
and it is possible that this poor fel.
low may have been left BY some OF
them. Esq. Adams held an inquest
and failed to learn anything more
than | have given you. The body
was buried where it was found.
| think the man was asleep when
his life was taken. He was in his
sock feet and his shoes are at the
camp. There are several pieces Of
large skillet lying there also, anc
The hair being gone from tue top o.
his head where the skull is fractured
some think it was broken over his
head u. l.. WRIT.
Capt. Jack Robertson came along
about the time OF holding the inquest
and viewed the body which he says
showed signs of decomposition abon
the wounds, that in the side AM
throat being ghastly wounds. Mr.
Robertson was seen the next morn
ing at Rover by Mr.. J. w. GLADDEN.
who feared that the murdered MAJ